How to deep clean your car's carpets

By Ané Theron

Whether you want to sell your beloved wheels or you simply want to make your grimy old car easier to live with, a proper deep-clean will go a long way in making your car a better place to spend time in.

Here's how to get those carpets looking and smelling clean and fresh in no time.

1. Empty your car of junk and anything else that's lying about.

2. Carefully remove your car's floor mats so the dirt doesn't get transferred to your car. Shake them out and place them somewhere dry.

3. Fire up your vacuum cleaner and do a thorough job of vacuuming your vehicle. Don't forget all the little crevices, nooks and crannies.

4. Get your carpet cleaning shampoo out, spray onto the carpet and leave for ten to twenty minutes. Work it into the carpet with a brush, in a circular motion. For hardcore stains, repeat if necessary.

(Click here to read 'The Ultimate List of Car Cleaning Products for your Car.)

5. Give your newly shampooed carpet a good 'rinse' by using a wet cloth or sponge and dampening the shampooed areas. Be careful that you

don't get the carpet too wet, since it may cause the growth of mold. Try and get as much moisture out of the carpet as possible.

6. Open all your car doors once you've parked in the sun so the car can dry properly. This can take from a few hours to a day or two, depending on the temperature and whether there's enough sunlight or not. Give your car a chance to dry out completely. Once you've done all this, it's time to move on to your car's floor mats.

Cleaning your car's floor mats

1. If you haven't done so already, shake out the floor mats and give them a good vacuum on both sides. Place them somewhere clean and dry.

2. Turn your mats upside down and clean the underside with a few drops of dish soap and a sponge. Rinse and dry with a towel or cloth.

3. Spray with carpet cleaning soap or even a bit of laundry detergent.

Use a water hose and get it nice and wet. You can now use a brush to scrub the mat in a circular motion. Rinse until all the bubbles have disappeared.

4. Dry your mats as thoroughly as you can with a wet/dry vacuum cleaner or a towel, and hang them on your washing line to dry.

Getting rid of ugly & stinky carpet stains

1. 'Natural' stains caused by mud, dirt and excess moisture

Mix the following in a bucket: A litre of hot water, a few drops of dishwashing liquid, and a cup of white spirit vinegar. Dip a cloth in the mixture and apply to the stain. Use a bristle brush to treat the stain and blot with paper towels to get rid of moisture. Please note that hot water should never be used for blood, wine and cool drink/juice stains, as this will just set the stain and make it permanent.

2. Coffee, wine, and cool drink stains

Soda water works well for these - it even works for vomit stains. Pour onto the problem area and scrub with a washcloth. Dry the area with paper towels. Still not working? Try a mixture of baking soda and water.

 3. Ink stains

Maybe your pen fell out in the car and leaked, or maybe your toddler tried her hand at some carpet art? Try spraying hairspray onto the area, and rub with a damp cloth. Add salt to the stain if it's not coming out. Salt also works well for wine. Wash off with a damp cloth.

4. Greasy stains

We won't ask how those greasy stains got there, but did you know that paint thinner can remove them? However, we do recommend testing it out in the boot first, as pain thinner can cause the carpet to fade. Better yet, leave it to the pros.

5. Blood stains

We're hoping that it was only a nosebleed. Getting blood out of most materials requires a special set of skills. Mix equal parts cold water and laundry starch paste and stir until you have a firmish paste. Apply to the stain and leave the potion to do its work for about thirty minutes. Now you can take a washcloth and scrub the mixture in properly. Use a towel to get rid of the excess moisture.

6. Chewing gum

Freeze the gum by applying ice cubes to it for about ten minutes. This should make it easy to remove.

7. Wet dog smell

Sprinkle Borax on your car's carpets and leave it for an hour or so. Vacuum afterwards. If smells in your car are an issue, click here to read 9 Cheap and Easy Ways to Rid your Car of Odours.